Dog days for Boston renters

Andrea McDonough, who rents an apartment in South Boston with her two dogs, says tenants… more

By Livia Gershon – Special to the Journal

Aug 10, 2012, 9:29am EDT

As vacancies in Greater Boston’s apartment market sink to six-year lows, landlords are saying no to Fido or making it more expensive for pet owners.

With multiple applicants for fewer units, property owners are choosing tenants who don’t come with the baggage of an animal companion. And landlords who are willing to accommodate dogs have learned that they charge for the privilege. Brokers say renting to a dog owner is risky. A negligent owner can mean torn up carpets, droppings on the walkways and barking. In this landlord’s market, many in the real estate business say there’s less motivation for landlords to put up with the headaches.

Doug Melcher, a principal at Paragon Properties in Boston and an agent for 2,600 units, said since the market has tightened over the last 18 months, some landlords have stopped accepting pets. And for those property owners who do, more of them are charging monthly fees of up to $100 extra per month. “The tighter the housing market is, the less likely a landlord is to accept a pet,” he said.

Gary Dwyer, owner of Buyer Agents of Boston who also owns rental properties, said he only allows cats and many of the other property owners he works with do the same. “I think when the market’s softer and it’s tougher to get new tenants, a landlord might be willing to rent to someone if they have a pet,” he said. “Now, with five to six applications for every apartment, you’re generally going to take the person with the strongest credit score and the least potential issues.”

Becky Long, director of investment services at Greater Boston Properties which manages about 40 buildings, said these days she can think of only two or three places where dogs are permitted.

Linda Ordway, an agent with Marc Roose Realty in Boston, estimates that only 3 to 5 percent of Boston properties accept dogs. “Because there’s such a limited supply of apartments, owners know they can get more money now for the dogs,” Ordway said. “We don’t even want to deal with people that have dogs.”

Real estate agent Andrea McDonough, who lives in a South Boston apartment with her two dogs, said she’s planning to stay put. “I know how difficult it is to actually find a place that’s pet friendly,” she said, “To the point that I won’t move until I buy something.”

Marlo Manning, founder of Fairy Dog Parents in Duxbury, said she started the organization to help people in financial crisis continue to pay for their pets’ needs so they don’t have to be sent to a shelter. But in the past year, she said, she’s hearing from pet owners asking if the group can take care of the animals until their lease is up.

“I get calls all the time, people wanting advice from me where to move with their dog,” she said, “And I don’t really have any advice for them.”